Head-to-head test
Anker SOLIX C300 DC vs BLUETTI Apex 300 + 2×B500K
A 6.17-lb device charger and a 282-lb home-backup system were never competing for the same buyer, and the Apex 300 stack's sweep of every scenario here only matters if backup power is actually what you came for.
Written by Gunner GustafsonUpdated
Whole-Home Backup Tester, Station Arena Test Desk
Anker
SOLIX C300 DC
1,621Power Score · Device Hub
$199.99 list · direct from Anker
BLUETTI
Apex 300 + 2×B500K
10,174Power Score · Whole-Home Capable
$4,999.00 list · direct from BLUETTI
Spec deltas
The Bluetti Apex 300 plus two B500K batteries wins every scenario tested on this page and the lifetime cost math too. At $4,999 to the SOLIX C300 DC's $200, it costs about 25 times as much, weighs 282.2 lbs to the SOLIX's 6.17, and holds about 13,005Wh against 288Wh — nearly 46 times the capacity. None of that is subtle.
But the lopsided score is a symptom, not really the story — these two were never built to solve the same problem. The SOLIX C300 DC skips the AC inverter entirely to stay pocket-light for charging phones and laptops on the moveA1; the Apex 300 stack is a modular, expandable battery meant to sit in a garage or RV bay and back up real appliances. Scroll through the scenarios below and the SOLIX doesn't cover a single one — not because it's a worse power station, but because it isn't really trying to be one.
If you clicked in comparing these two for backup power, the Apex 300 stack is the easy call: cheaper per kWh over its life despite the sticker price, with UPS-grade transfer switching and real room to grow. If you just wanted something to keep a phone and a laptop charged on a trip, skip the Apex info entirely and price-check the SOLIX on its own — you were never actually choosing between these two.
What the Numbers Reveal
Each conclusion stated first — the numbers behind it on one line, the full analysis below.
That's true of every one of the six scenarios here, not just the smallest. The SOLIX C300 DC isn't a weaker power station than the Apex 300 stack — it's a different category of product wearing the same label, built around USB-C device chargingA1A2 rather than appliance loads.
SOLIX C300 DC total capacity: 288WhCPAP Overnight scenario needs about 320WhVan Life Daily scenario needs about 4,685Wh
Why it mattersIf tonight looks like any of these six scenarios, stop cross-shopping the SOLIX C300 DC entirely and go straight to something built for the load. If it doesn't — if you just need devices charged — ignore the Apex 300 stack's scores, they don't describe your use case.
cost / lifetime kWh
That reversal comes from throughput, not sticker price: 3,500 cycles across 13,004.8Wh works out to roughly 45,517 kWh delivered over the Apex stack's life, against 864 kWh for the SOLIX — nearly 53 times the total energy for about 25 times the price. Cheap-per-kWh is a function of how much you actually put through the battery, not a property of the battery itself.
Apex 300 stack: $4,999, 13,004.8Wh, 3,500 cyclesSOLIX C300 DC: $200, 288Wh, 3,000 cyclesCost per lifetime kWh: $0.11 (Apex stack) vs $0.23 (SOLIX)
Why it mattersA buyer who'll regularly draw four-figure watt-hours (Van Life Daily's 4,685Wh is a good proxy) should let the lifetime cost math override sticker shock. A buyer who'd only occasionally top off a phone would leave almost all of that value unused and should just buy the cheaper unit outright.
The SOLIX C300 DC's actual strength is fast USB-C device chargingA1A2, a completely different spec than transfer switching. Comparing 'UPS protection' across these two is comparing a feature to a use case that doesn't exist on one of the products.
Apex 300 stack switchover time: 10msSOLIX C300 DC switchover spec: none listed (no AC inverter or pass-through wiring)
Why it mattersA reader protecting a router or medical equipment through outages needs the Apex stack's 10ms transfer, full stop. A reader who just wants quick device charging on the go gets nothing from that spec and shouldn't pay for it.
solar input
That's not a fluke, it's a design signature. The SOLIX C300 DC is built to refill a laptop fast off a single high-wattage port; the Apex 300 stack is built to move huge amounts of energy in and out of a large bank, with solar input at 2,400W to match. Bigger battery doesn't mean better at every job — it means built for a different job.
SOLIX C300 DC max USB-C output: 140WApex 300 stack max USB-C output: 100WSOLIX C300 DC max solar input: 100W vs Apex 300 stack: 2,400W
Why it mattersA reader who cares mainly about fast device charging shouldn't assume the more expensive, higher-capacity unit automatically wins every spec. On this one, it doesn't, and that's a useful reminder this is two different tools, not a big and small version of one.
The specific dimensions that decide these two units — everything else is a tie.
Your Life, Your Pick
Selected because: All six computed scenarios land p2 — the sweep is the headline, but the honest read is category mismatch, not a nail-biter.
The SOLIX C300 DC loses all six scenarios, and the closest one isn't close: CPAP Overnight needs about 320Wh for the night, and the SOLIX's entire capacity is 288Wh — it falls short before the CPAP user's alarm even goes off. Every other scenario is a wider miss, up to Van Life Daily's 4,685Wh, more than sixteen times what the SOLIX holds.
That's not a knock on the SOLIX — none of these six scenarios describe what it was built for. If tonight looks like any of them, the Apex 300 stack is the only real candidate on this page. If it doesn't — if you just need to keep a phone and a laptop charged — the SOLIX was the answer before you opened this comparison.
Portability & Form Factor
Selected because: 6.17 lbs vs 282.2 lbs is the most physically vivid fact on the page and explains why these serve different buyers.
weight
6.17 lbs is a unit you forget is in the bag. 282.2 lbs — nearly 46 times as much — is a unit you place once, in a garage or RV bay, and build the rest of the setup around, not the other way around. Neither is wrong; they're answering different questions about where the battery lives.
The SOLIX skips the AC inverter entirely to hit that weight, which is also why it has no listed surge rating — there's no AC circuit to protect from a motor's starting draw when there's no AC circuit at allA1. The Apex 300 stack carries a 7,680W surge rating on top of 3,840W continuous, for exactly that job — appliances and their startup spikes are what a 282-lb battery is actually for.
Lifetime Value
Selected because: cheaperToOwn=p2 despite a 25x sticker gap is the counterintuitive number worth unpacking.
cost / lifetime kWh
Sticker price says the Apex 300 stack costs about 25 times more than the SOLIX C300 DC. Cost per lifetime kWh says the opposite — cheaper, not pricier, once you count what actually gets delivered over its life. That reversal comes from throughput: more cycles across far more capacity moves a lot more total energy before either unit gets retired.
That math only pays off if you actually push that much energy through it. Buy the Apex stack just to top off a phone occasionally, and almost none of its lifetime value gets used. Buy the SOLIX hoping it covers a weekend that needs anywhere near 2,100Wh — the Weekend Camping scenario — and it can't deliver a fraction of what's needed. The low cost-per-kWh is a reward for heavy, regular use, not a coupon.
Growth Path
Selected because: p1 fixed/sealed vs p2 expandable — relevant mainly to the buyer already committed to a stackable system.
solar input
The SOLIX C300 DC is sealed at 288Wh — what you buy is what you'll ever have, with no expansion battery or add-on to grow into. The Apex 300 stack starts at roughly 13,005Wh and adds more B500K batteries from there, so a buyer already near that starting line has real room to grow past it.
Fixed capacity isn't really a flaw here — a phone-and-laptop charger doesn't need a growth path, and 288Wh is already the complete, portable form the SOLIX is trying to be. Expansion only matters to the buyer who's already committed to the Apex's category: whole-home and RV backup, where needs tend to climb past whatever you bought first.
What the Specs Don't Tell You
Selected because: Covers UPS, noise, warranty, and the SOLIX's undisclosed dB rating — the remaining spec-level differences.
rated cycles
The Apex stack's fast transfer switching and quiet running under load aren't separate features — they're both what you'd want from a box that's wired inline with real circuits and sitting somewhere you live or sleep. The SOLIX C300 DC skips both specs entirely because it was never wired in that way to begin with, and Anker doesn't publish a noise figure for it either — there's simply less to measure on a small DC charger.
Warranty length tracks the investment size: more years of coverage on the purchase that costs a lot more and is meant to still be running appliances a decade from now. For the SOLIX C300 DC, a shorter warranty barely matters — a $200 charger isn't amortized the same way a home-backup system is.
Strengths & trade-offs
Anker SOLIX C300 DC
Strengths
- +Costs $4,799 less
- +Lighter by 276 lb
Trade-offs
- –Weaker inverter (-3,540W) limits appliance compatibility.
- –Sealed capacity — the Apex 300 + 2×B500K can add batteries to grow past 288Wh; this one can't.
BLUETTI Apex 300 + 2×B500K
Strengths
- +Larger battery capacity
- +Higher AC output
- +Longer warranty
- +Faster solar charging
Trade-offs
- –Substantially more expensive (+$4,799) than the SOLIX C300 DC.
- –Significantly heavier (+276 lbs), making it harder to move.
- –Very heavy unit that may be difficult for one person to lift.
Will It Power Your Gear?
Scenario math and per-appliance runtimes, modeled from the spec record.
Scenario verdicts
We ran the math on six real-world scenarios. Here's which unit survives your actual life.
SCN-01 · 2 nights · needs 2,100Wh
Weekend Camping
Two nights off-grid with essential comfort
Apex 300 + 2×B500K
A weekend of camping runs about 2,100Wh — more than seven times the SOLIX C300 DC's entire 288Wh capacity. The Apex 300 stack covers it on under a fifth of what it's carrying.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD Phone Charger 15W×6h · LED Lights 40W×8h · Box Fan 75W×14h · CPAP Machine 40W×16h
SCN-02 · 8 hours · needs 1,645Wh
8-Hour Blackout
Keep the essentials running through a night without power
Apex 300 + 2×B500K
An 8-hour blackout draws around 1,645Wh, well beyond anything the SOLIX C300 DC holds. The Apex 300 stack handles it on about 15% of its capacity, with the rest in reserve for whatever comes next.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD Fridge 150W×8h · Router + Modem 20W×8h · LED Lights (4 bulbs) 40W×6h · Phone Charger 15W×3h
SCN-03 · 8 hours · needs 320Wh
CPAP Overnight
Sleep therapy without interruption — the #1 medical use case
Apex 300 + 2×B500K
The smallest ask on this page: a CPAP overnight needs about 320Wh, and the SOLIX C300 DC's 288Wh still isn't quite enough to make it to morning. The Apex 300 stack spends roughly 3% of its capacity on the same night.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD CPAP Machine 40W×8h
SCN-04 · 8 hours · needs 910Wh
Remote Workday
Full work day off-grid without power anxiety
Apex 300 + 2×B500K
A laptop, a monitor, and a phone through a full workday adds up to about 910Wh — more than triple the SOLIX C300 DC's total capacity. The Apex 300 stack barely notices, at around 8%.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD Laptop 60W×8h · External Monitor 30W×8h · Router + Modem 20W×8h · Phone Charger 15W×2h
SCN-05 · 4 hours · needs 670Wh
Tailgate Party
Game day power for the crew
Apex 300 + 2×B500K
Speakers, lights, and a warming plate for a tailgate run about 670Wh, more than double what the SOLIX C300 DC holds in total. The Apex 300 stack runs the whole party on about 6% of its charge.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD Blender 400W×0.5h · LED TV (55") 80W×4h · Bluetooth Speaker 15W×4h · Phone Charger (×3) 45W×2h
SCN-06 · 24 hours · needs 4,685Wh
Van Life Daily
A full day of mobile living — the ultimate endurance test
Apex 300 + 2×B500K
Daily van life draw runs about 4,685Wh — over sixteen times the SOLIX C300 DC's capacity, and a scenario it was never in the running for. The Apex 300 stack uses 42% of its capacity, which is closer to the everyday-backup role it's actually built for.
Battery budget usedlower = more headroom
LOAD Mini-Fridge 150W×24h · Laptop 60W×4h · Phone Charger 15W×3h · LED Lights 40W×5h · Fan 75W×8h
The Load Test
RUNTIME = (Wh × 0.85) ÷ LOAD
None of the six scenarios above exactly yours? Build it. Toggle what you'd plug in; both units are tested against the combined draw.
Essentials
Comfort & Convenience
High-Draw Appliances
Test duration
8h
Continuous draw
205W
Projected runtime
For this load: Apex 300 + 2×B500K runs 53.9h vs 1.2h.
$4,999 list · direct from BLUETTI
Modeled from the spec record — same math as the tables below. Methodology
Runtime by appliance
Real-world runtime estimates for common appliances, modeled at 85% inverter efficiency.¹
Essentials
The basics you need runningscale 0–736.9hComfort & Convenience
Makes off-grid life actually enjoyablescale 0–147.4hHigh-Draw Appliances
These reveal the real limitsscale 0–11.1h¹ Runtime = (capacity × 0.85) ÷ appliance watts. Within each group, all bars share one time scale (the group's longest runtime), so lengths are comparable across appliances; identical runtimes collapse into a single blue/orange bar. Actual runtime varies with battery age, temperature, and simultaneous loads — see methodology.
Conclusion
July 28, 2026
Verdict: the Apex 300 + 2×B500K, on Power Score margin
Every computed metric agrees: the Apex 300 stack wins all six real-world scenarios tested, costs less per lifetime kWh ($0.11 versus $0.23) despite a sticker price about 25 times higher, and posts a PowerScore of 10,174 against 1,621. But this is a 282.2-lb home-backup system against a 6.17-lb device charger — treat the win as confirmation you're shopping the right category, not proof the SOLIX C300 DC is a lesser product. If your actual need is charging small devices on the move, this verdict doesn't apply to you at all.
Editor-assigned confidence, based on cited owner research and spec analysis.
List prices as of July 28, 2026. The links below open Anker's and BLUETTI's current prices.
$4,999.00 list · direct from BLUETTI
or check the SOLIX C300 DC price$199.99 list
Written by Gunner Gustafson, Whole-Home Backup Tester · Station Arena Test Desk · Updated July 28, 2026
Measured Data
Benchmark scores and the full spec record, side by side.
Benchmark scores
Not rated for both units (minimum threshold unmet): Home Backup, Food Truck, Apartment Balcony, Camping.
Full specifications
ᵈ Derived: price ÷ rated capacity. See the data behind our comparisons →
Comparison ToolAdd more power stations, side by sideOpen Tool →How these numbers are produced
Numeric verification
Every figure on this page traces to our spec database or arithmetic on it — no estimated numbers.
Owner claims
Statements about owner experience are cited to published reviews — see Sources & Research Notes below.
Runtime model
Runtime = (rated capacity × 0.85 inverter efficiency) ÷ device wattage. Solar recharge estimates assume panels deliver 70% of rated output. Cold weather, battery age, and stacked loads reduce real-world results.
Power Score
Computed from 14 published spec dimensions, weighted per use-case bench. Higher is better; a unit must meet a bench's minimum threshold to be rated.
See the full weight table and data sourcing on our methodology page →Class ranking (the star rating)
Each unit's star score is a category ranking, not customer reviews — no buyer opinions feed it. We score every station on size-independent quality (value, output, portability, endurance, ports, warranty, and more), then percentile-rank it against the other units in its capacity class, so a class-leading compact unit and a class-leading whole-home unit can both earn 5★. Here, SOLIX C300 DC rates 4.2/5 (52nd percentile of 22 Personal-class units), and Apex 300 + 2×B500K rates 3.7/5 (25th percentile of 17 Whole-Home / Off-Grid-class units).
How the class ranking is computed →Test Notes & Caveats
Hidden gotchas and advantages we spotted that you won't find on the product page.
Apex 300 + 2×B500K: 282.2 lbs Is a Commitment
282.2 lbs is nearly 46 times the SOLIX C300 DC's 6.17 lbs. Most owners place the Apex 300 stack once — a garage shelf, an RV bay — and build the setup around it rather than moving it again.
Apex 300 + 2×B500K: 45dB Under Load
45 dB under load sits around the volume of a running refrigerator — noticeable in a quiet bedroom, unremarkable in a garage or utility closet.
SOLIX C300 DC: Fixed Capacity
The SOLIX C300 DC is sealed at 288Wh with no expansion path. The Apex 300 stack starts at roughly 13,005Wh and adds more B500K batteries beyond that, for buyers whose needs might climb further.
Only the Apex 300 + 2×B500K Has UPS Protection
The Apex 300 stack switches to battery power in 10 milliseconds, fast enough to keep sensitive electronics running through a grid drop. The SOLIX C300 DC has no transfer-switch spec because it's a DC charger, not a unit wired inline with household circuits.
Warranty Value Comparison
3 years on the SOLIX C300 DC, 5 on the Apex 300 stack — 2 more years of coverage on the purchase that costs roughly 25 times as much.
SOLIX C300 DC: Noise Level Not Disclosed
Anker doesn't publish a dB rating for the SOLIX C300 DC. That's common for small DC-only chargers, but it does mean shopping on this spec means comparing a real number (the Apex's 45 dB) against none at all.
Full record above — the Test Desk pick is the Apex 300 + 2×B500K.
Check Apex 300 + 2×B500K price →or check the SOLIX C300 DC priceOwnership Analysis
What happens after you buy — true cost of ownership, brand trust, and growth potential.
Lifetime value
Service lifeyears at one full cycle per day
Lifetime energy delivered
Cost per delivered kWh
│ warranty ends · Reaching the cycle rating means ~80% capacity remains — degraded, not dead.
Analyst note
The SOLIX C300 DC is cheaper to buy, but the Apex 300 + 2×B500K is cheaper to own. At $0.11/kWh over its lifetime vs $0.23/kWh, the Apex 300 + 2×B500K's higher cycle life and capacity make each dollar go further over the years.
Delivers each lifetime kWh for $0.12 less — check the Apex 300 + 2×B500K price →
Brand trust
Anker
Ecosystem
Anker's SOLIX lineup runs 7 to 8 portable stations across the compact C-series and flagship F-series, plus the X1 home energy system — the C300 DC sits at the small, light end of that range.
Support
Anker built its name on fast, no-hassle replacements, and that reputation still carries weight. More recent reports point to AI-driven support responses and messier return logistics for the heavier units in the lineup — worth knowing if you're buying up the SOLIX range, less relevant for a 6.17-lb charger you're unlikely to ship back.
Community
Moderate — active Reddit (r/Anker, r/AnkerSOLIXCommunity) and growing. Benefits from Anker's massive consumer electronics brand awareness.
App experience
Rated 4.5/5 iOS (~1,100 ratings) · 4.3/5 Android
Unique strength
Gen 2 SOLIX pricing is some of the strongest dollar-per-watt-hour value in the category, and InfiniPower cell tech is built for a long cycle life.
Worth knowing
The expansion ecosystem is smaller than some competitors', and firmware updates have reportedly removed features without warning — a footnote for the C300 DC specifically, since it has nothing to expand into anyway.
BLUETTI
Ecosystem
BLUETTI fields one of the widest lineups in the category — 15 to 20+ models from the budget AC2A up to the Apex 300 flagship — plus specialty gear like sodium-ion cold-weather units and vehicle solar hubs.
Support
Support is the least consistent part of the BLUETTI experience: email-heavy, with China-timezone delays, and outcomes that range from smooth to weeks-long runarounds. Buying direct from BLUETTI's own site reportedly gets better results than third-party channels.
Community
Active and growing — Reddit r/bluetti has a dedicated community. Second-largest after EcoFlow in engagement.
App experience
Rated 4.5/5 iOS and Android — tied for best app experience in the category. V3.0 UI redesign was well-received.
Unique strength
Best capacity-for-the-price in the category, full LFP standardization across the lineup, and dual-voltage 120V/240V output on flagship units like the Apex 300.
Worth knowing
Older or discontinued models can be hard to get parts for, and support inconsistency is the single biggest risk of buying into the ecosystem.
Analyst note
Neither brand's support record is spotless, but the failure modes differ: Anker's is a recent dip from a high bar, BLUETTI's is a wider spread between a good outcome and a bad one. That gap matters more on the pricier purchase, where you're leaning on support a lot harder if something goes wrong.
Growth path
SOLIX C300 DC
FIXED CAPACITYFixed at 288Wh, with no expansion — so size it for your needs up front rather than planning to add capacity later.
Accepts up to 100W of solar. Limited to a single portable panel.
Adequate ports for most setups, but heavy users may want a power strip.
Apex 300 + 2×B500K
EXPANDABLESupports BLUETTI expansion batteries, so you can add capacity later without replacing the base unit — useful if your needs may climb past 13,005Wh.
Accepts up to 2,400W of solar. Enough for a serious multi-panel array.
Generous port selection supports complex multi-device setups.
Expansion batteries are BLUETTI-specific. You're investing in the BLUETTI ecosystem.
Realistic full solar rechargeat 70% of rated panel output — see methodology
Analyst note
The SOLIX C300 DC is sealed at 288Wh, which is fine if that covers you. The Apex 300 + 2×B500K starts at 13,005Wh and can grow beyond it with BLUETTI expansion batteries — real headroom the SOLIX C300 DC doesn't have if your needs climb toward partial-home backup.
What Owners Report
Patterns from published owner reports and long-term reviews — every claim cited to its source below.
Anker SOLIX C300 DC
Owners consistently report the SOLIX C300 DC delivers on a narrow promise well: light, DC-only, and quick to refillA1A2A3. It drops the AC inverter entirely to stay near 6.17 lbs, with two USB-A and four USB-C ports, including PD 3.1 fast charging that tops it back up in about an hourA1A2. Owners describe using it to charge a phone and laptop repeatedly, run a fan for hours, or power a small light setupA3 — errand-list jobs, not appliance jobs.
That focus cuts both ways. One review puts it plainly: built for modern travelers charging devices, not for running AC appliancesA4 — which lines up with everything else in this comparison. It's exactly right for the job it was built for, and a mismatch for anything past it.
“A 288Wh unit that ditches the heavy AC inverter to focus on DC power, keeping it very light at about 6.2 lbs.”
Sources
the-gadgeteer.com · forbes.com · androidpolice.com · batteryessence.com · bestbuy.com · campingsolar.us
BLUETTI Apex 300 + 2×B500K
Field evidence comes with a real caveat here: most of what's written about the Apex 300 platform covers the base unit or the older B300K battery, not this exact two-B500K configuration. Genuine owner commentary naming the B500K pairing specifically comes down to one RV owner's forum postB10 — treat the rest below as platform-level evidence, not a test of this exact rig.
With that caveat, reviewers describe a unit that's serious but not effortless. Fans stay relatively tame under load for something this sizeB1, and one owner said they could run essentials for more than a full day without rationing powerB8. There's no DC or USB port on the unit itself, though — reviewers note that means an added Hub D1 accessory to get them backB2B6 — and weight comes up again and again: reviewers describe it as something you set up once and don't move, not something you carry to a picnicB4B9B11, and that's before adding the two B500K batteries that bring this exact configuration to 282.2 lbs.
“Some units sound like small jet engines under load, but the Apex 300's fans are relatively tame.”
Sources
techspective.net · thesolarlab.com · t3.com · trustedreviews.com · notebookcheck.net
Sources & Research Notes
Every owner claim in this report is traceable to a published source. The bracketed references above resolve here.
Recurring owner themes
- Light DC-only design (no AC inverter), fast USB-C charging, and good port selection for device charging are the highlights. [SOLIX C300 DC · 3 entries]
- Reviewers consistently note the lack of built-in USB/DC ports, requiring a separate $300 Hub D1 accessory, as a notable and costly design compromise. [Apex 300 + 2×B500K · 3 entries]
- The unit's extreme weight (~85 lbs base, more with expansion batteries) makes it effectively immobile once placed, despite being marketed as 'portable.' [Apex 300 + 2×B500K · 3 entries]
- The modular ecosystem (Hub A1, Hub D1, expansion batteries) is praised for flexibility but criticized for high add-on costs relative to competitors. [Apex 300 + 2×B500K · 3 entries]
- A1
“A 288Wh unit that ditches the heavy AC inverter to focus on DC power, keeping it very light at about 6.2 lbs.”
the-gadgeteer.com / forbes.com — SOLIX C300 DC review · 2026 · [positive]
- A2
“Offers 2 USB-A and 4 USB-C ports plus a 12V car socket; two-way USB-C with PD 3.1 recharges the unit to 80% in about 1 hour.”
androidpolice.com / batteryessence.com — SOLIX C300 DC review · 2026 · [positive]
- A3
“Owners praise its portability and capacity — enough to charge a phone and laptop several times, run a fan for hours, or power a small light setup.”
bestbuy.com owner reviews — SOLIX C300 DC / C300X · 2026 · [positive]
- A4
“A DC-focused design with app integration and solar support — best for modern travelers charging devices, not running AC appliances.”
androidpolice.com / campingsolar.us — SOLIX C300 DC review · 2026 · [mixed]
- B1
“Some units sound like small jet engines under load, but the Apex 300's fans are relatively tame.”
techspective.net — Bluetti Apex 300 with B300K Review · 2025-09 · [positive]
- B2
“Not having DC or USB ports on the face is a tradeoff. The Hub D1 solves the problem—but it's an additional $300 accessory that you then have to bolt on after the fact.”
techspective.net — Bluetti Apex 300 with B300K Review · 2025-09 · [negative]
- B4
“In fact, it's so heavy I can hardly carry it more than a few feet at a time and have been unable to lift it onto a table”
t3.com — Bluetti Apex 300 review · 2025-11 · [negative]
- B6
“That Bluetti D1 Power Hub that gives you your DC and USB ports costs about $300, which is a steep price for what you're getting.”
thesolarlab.com — Bluetti Apex 300 Review · unknown · [negative]
- B7
“Say you want to connect multiple Apex 300 power stations together, you'll need to buy the Bluetti Hub A1 Parallel Box, which retails for around $699!”
thesolarlab.com — Bluetti Apex 300 Review · unknown · [negative]
- B8
“With some portable power stations, I'd have to ration power more carefully, but with this system, I could run essentials for more than a full day if I needed to.”
techspective.net — Bluetti Apex 300 with B300K Review · 2025-09 · [positive]
- B9
“It's heavy, no question, but the handles and modular battery design make it manageable. I wouldn't drag it to a picnic, but it's a solid choice for home backup”
techspective.net — Bluetti Apex 300 with B300K Review · 2025-09 · [mixed]
- B10
“I recently purchased a Bluetti Apex 300 with a B500K expansion battery to help power our 50A Brinkley 5th wheel.”
BLUETTI Community forum — 'Apex 300 operating mode and settings?' · 2026-02 · [positive]
- B11
“No wheels though, so if you plan on moving it regularly, invest in a cart.”
thesolarlab.com — Bluetti Apex 300 Review · unknown · [negative]
Research compiled July 28, 2026.
Who Should Buy Which
Buy the SOLIX C300 DC if you…
- →Buy the SOLIX C300 DC if your real need is keeping a phone, a laptop, and a few small devices charged while you travel light. Owners use it to top off a laptop and phone repeatedly, run a fan for hours, or power a small light setupA3 — that's the job, and at 6.17 lbs and $200, it disappears into a bag until you need it.
Buy the Apex 300 + 2×B500K if you…
- →Buy the Apex 300 plus two B500K batteries if you need real backup capacity: a multi-day outage, an RV or van-life setup, or partial-home coverage where about 13,005Wh and room to expand actually get used. It sweeps every scenario tested here and adds UPS-grade 10-millisecond transfer switching that most small stations don't have at all.
- →Budget for where it lives, not just for moving it. At 282.2 lbs, most reviewers describe setting it up once and building around it rather than relocating itB4B9B11, and the modular Hub accessories that add DC/USB ports and multi-unit pairing bring real added cost on top of the base priceB2B6B7.
If neither fits
If your real need sits in between — a single appliance or a CPAP for a weekend trip, not a phone charger and not a home-backup system — neither of these is the right buy. Look at a mid-size, single-battery power station instead: something you can still carry yourself, without paying for the Apex stack's 282.2 lbs of capacity you'll never fully use.
The Bottom Line
For backup power, the call is easy: the Apex 300 plus two B500K batteries sweeps all six scenarios tested here and comes out cheaper per kWh over its life despite the much higher sticker price — cheaper to run, not just bigger.
The SOLIX C300 DC isn't the loser of this matchup so much as a contestant in the wrong event. This was never sealed-versus-expandable or light-versus-heavy so much as charger-versus-power-station. Buy the Apex stack for the blackout and the RV. Buy the SOLIX, on its own terms, for the backpack.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers drawn from the spec record and cited owner research.
Can the Anker SOLIX C300 DC run a mini fridge or power a CPAP overnight?
No. Even the lightest test on this page, CPAP Overnight, needs about 320Wh, and the SOLIX C300 DC's entire capacity is 288Wh. It's built for charging phones, laptops, and small electronics, not for running appliances through the night.
Why is the far more expensive Bluetti actually cheaper to own?
Because lifetime cost per kWh depends on how much energy a battery moves over its life, not just its price. The Apex 300 stack costs roughly 25 times as much upfront but works out to $0.11 per lifetime kWh against the SOLIX's $0.23, since its 3,500 cycles across about 13,005Wh add up to far more total energy delivered over time. That math assumes you actually use the capacity regularly — it's not a reason to buy more battery than you need.
Is the Bluetti Apex 300 plus two B500K batteries actually portable?
Not in the way 'portable power station' usually implies. At 282.2 lbs, reviewers describe it as something you place once and don't move again, not something you carry around. One reviewer adds that it has no wheels, so moving it at all means investing in a cart.
Does the SOLIX C300 DC protect my electronics during a power outage the way the Bluetti does?
No. The Apex 300 stack switches to battery power in 10 milliseconds, fast enough to keep sensitive electronics running through a grid drop. The SOLIX C300 DC has no transfer-switch spec at all — it's a DC charger, not a unit wired inline with household circuits, so the comparison doesn't really apply to it.
So which one should I actually buy?
If you need real backup power for an outage, an RV, or a van you live in, the Apex 300 stack wins on every scenario tested here and costs less per kWh over its life despite the much higher price. If you just want to keep a phone and a laptop charged on the move, the SOLIX C300 DC does that job at a fraction of the price and weight, and the Apex was never a real alternative for it. If your need sits in between — one appliance or a CPAP for a weekend — neither of these is actually the right buy.
Where to buy
Anker SOLIX C300 DC
$199.99
$199.99 list · direct from Anker
BLUETTI Apex 300 + 2×B500KPick
$4,999.00
$4,999.00 list · direct from BLUETTI
Prices may vary by retailer and are subject to change.